


Six Weeks

by Skarias



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bodyguard, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Bending (Avatar TV), F/F, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-12-08
Packaged: 2020-10-04 23:40:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 16,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20479382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skarias/pseuds/Skarias
Summary: It was a job like any other; sign the NDA, get wherever they wanted her to go and ensure the safety of her client – only that Korra got the feeling that nothing was ever going to be simple when your newest assignment came directly from the head of Future Industries, and even more so when it concerned the safety of his only daughter and heir to a multi-billion dollar empire.Still, Korra found herself hard pressed to refuse paying work, especially considering the more than generous compensation they had offered her, and soon found herself on a plane heading for the middle of nowhere – or in other words, the Sato holiday retreat.Updates (pretty much) every Sunday!





	1. Arrival

The plane shook hard as it touched down on all but completely frozen concrete of the landing strip. Most of the passengers were either just waking up or already busy pulling thick jackets over their heads. Korra looked around drowsily, the few hours of sleep she’d gotten during the flight had been far and in between. God, how she hated mornings. The voice of the pilot rang through the aircraft, something about hoping he’d see them again on their next flight and how he wished them a pleasant stay - most of what he said was drowned out by the other passengers talking over each other. Korra wasn’t so sure about that last part, maybe she would be after a cup of coffee, or a potful.

Getting out of her seat she slowly lifted her arms and stretched her muscles, her lips twitching up once she heard the satisfying ‘crack’ of her joints being shoved back into their proper place. She slipped into her cobalt blue parka, or what had been her makeshift blanket for the past few hours, and followed the other passengers toward the door that had been pushed open and greeted them with a surge of icy, cold wind. 

As Korra made her way through the airport, the suitcase rolling behind her bouncing every time the floor decided to imitate a pothole, she finally got a chance to check her phone. 9:47 AM. Great, she was late. Half an hour late, to be exact. Today was getting better and better. Not only had she waited just short of of three hours at the airport back home, because her flight had been canceled, no, even the midnight flight had been delayed for another hour until the plane had finally arrived just past 1 AM. Going through her contacts she called Kuvira’s number the moment she finally left the painfully slow check-out behind.

“Morning, Kor. Tell me, how’s the tundra been treating you?” Korra couldn’t see her flatmate, but something was telling her that there was a shit eating grin sitting at the other end of the line. 

She barely managed to keep her teeth from clattering against each other. “Oh, it’s been great. The people are nice, the scenery is gorgeous, I’ve been here all but ten minutes and I can already feel my limbs freezing off.” 

“Remind me why you decided to take a job at the ass end of nowhere again?”

“Yeah, well, you haven’t seen the kind of money they offered me, Kuv,” _ And it’s not like I’m swimming in work in the first place. _ When Korra had first received the offer from the head of Future Industries, she had to make sure they hadn’t accidentally added an extra digit. “B’sides, you don’t just turn down a job offer from _ the _Hiroshi Sato, do you?” 

“Guess not. Just make sure you don’t freeze to death down there. I’ve been alone with that slobbering monstrosity of yours for a day now and I’m already contemplating why I agreed on this in the first place," on cue, Korra could hear an excited bark coming from behind her friend. It was ridiculous, she’d been gone barely a day and already she was getting homesick. Maybe this had been a mistake.

“I’ll buy you a new car when I get back,” Korra had to remind herself of the ridiculous amount money that they had offered her for the job. She would finally be able to afford her own place. With a smile of her own she added. “…or five.”

“I’m gonna hold you to that,” Kuvira said, another set of barks audible in the background. “No, stop, Naga! Give that back right now!” 

“Everything okay?” Korra asked, barely managing to hold back her laughter. 

“You owe me a new pair of shoes, too,” Kuvira panted after a few moments in which only rapid footsteps and a series of happy barks could be heard through the phone.

“Maybe you should start a list,” Korra sighed, somehow she had known that Naga would stop behaving the second she had stepped out of their apartment. Pushing open the revolving doors leading outside the airport and back into the cold reality of things, she had to make a double take. “Uh, Kuv? I… I gotta go, I think they send me car.”

“A cab? That’s awfully nice of them, considering you just flew halfway across the globe for them on a whim.” Kuvira said, the rumbling of their coffee machine sounding through the phone somehow only made her shiver harder against the cold.

A cab, right. Korra had expected a cab when they told her they’d take care of her ride from the airport to the estate. What she hadn’t expected was a brand new, jet black Satomobile to wait for her in the parking lot. So far she’d only seen that particular variant in recent commercials. A tall man leant against the frame of the car, the color of his uniform matching the metallic gloss. She would have walked past him, too, if it weren’t for the _ Future Industries _ written in bright yellow letters across the hat that did a god job of hiding most of his declining hairline.

“Something like that,” Korra muttered, still somewhat dumbfounded. “Give Naga a hug from me. I’ll see you guys in a few weeks!” And with that she ended the call, buried her phone and her positively frozen hand in one of the pockets of her parka, and made a beeline for the driver.

Korra opened her mouth, but wasn’t nearly fast enough. “Ms. Waters, I presume?” the man asked, his lips curled up in a smile that looked far too genuine for what she had expected. She just nodded, not quite sure what to say, and took his already outstretched, gloved hand. In her infinite wisdom, Korra had of course buried her own pair somewhere deep inside her luggage. “My name is Takuya Goto, we spoke on the phone? I am Ms. Sato’s personal assistant and designated driver.”

“Korra, but I guess you already knew that. Nice to meet you, Mr. Goto," the driver nodded, opened the passenger door for her with a quick motion and stored her suitcase in the back of the car before she could complain about the fact that she could’ve done that herself. When the trunk shut close behind her and the engines flared to life, Korra couldn’t help but feel like she had messed up some sort of secret etiquette. 


	2. Asami Sato, PhD

Leaving the village behind, which really only consisted of the rickety airport Korra had arrived in just half an hour earlier and a series of convenience stores that were shadowed by a cluster of small houses looking like they’d topple and fall over if the wind only blew hard enough, Mr. Goto seemed intent on leading them as far away from any sign of civilization as possible. 

So far Korra had only ever seen the deserted fields they drove through now from high above and on pictures on the internet while she had been doing her research on the place, but being here, in person, was something else entirely. To say that the world around them was empty would have been an understatement. The road, which was covered in snow more often than not, lead them past the occasional forest filled with nothing but barren trees, mountains in the distance that sported the same color as the clouds above, and even the odd car that drove off into the opposite direction they were headed every once in a while. But other than that? Nothing but endless wasteland whose colors only reminded her of Naga’s fur, which wasn’t exactly helping.

“Ms. Waters,” Korra’s head shot up, and Mr. Goto’s tone of voice made her question just how many times he had to call her name to get her attention in the first place. _ Get it together, Kor. _

“It’s just Korra, please," if it were up to her she’d get rid of her last name altogether, and not only because being called ‘Ms. Waters’ made her feel at least fifteen years too old for her taste.

“Of course, Ms. Korra,” Korra suppressed the urge to shake her head. _ That’s an improvement, I guess. _ As he continued to speak, she couldn’t help but wonder if that smile of his ever left his face. “I trust Mr. Sato has insured that you are aware of what will be expected of you in the following weeks?”

“Security, protection and surveillance in and around the estate at all times. I’m to stay at Ms. Sato’s side should she decide leave the property grounds and make sure nothing happens to her," Korra summarized the batch of emails she had exchanged with the Future Industries staff during the week leading up to today’s flight. She wasn’t sure what Hiroshi’s daughter needed protection from out here, or from whom, and she questioned if Mr. Goto, or anyone, had definitive answers to that particular mystery. “That about cover it?”

"That ‘about covers it’, yes," he echoed her. "Furthermore you should know that due to the estate’s rather remote location, connection to the outside world via phone or wi-fi are... sporadic at best, nonexistent more often than not." that wasn’t exactly news to Korra. Before she had left for the airport she had made sure to raid the stash of novels Kuvira kept under her bed, and hadn’t known she knew about. 

“Speaking of, anything you can tell me about the area I don’t already know? So far all I got were vague descriptions,” Korra didn’t quite know what to expect, with all the secrecy surrounding the job it sounded more like the final resting place of the holy grail than the Sato holiday retreat. They hadn’t even given her the coordinates of the site until after she had signed the contract they had, of course, send by email only. 

She looked over to Mr. Goto, who was still staring straight ahead on an empty road and showed no incentive to answer her question. Another moment had passed and Korra began to wonder if he simply hadn’t heard her. “It’s an old building, pre war," he said as the car turned into a street that was more mud than road. The fields around them were quickly replaced by empty trees that all looked the same to her. “Ms. Sato has taken it upon herself to keep it refurbished every now and again. There are six bedrooms, three on each floor. four bathrooms, two kitchens and a dozen rooms spread across the floors serving multiple purposes. Additionally there is a gymnasium and a repurposed garage connected to the lower floor, this is also where Ms. Sato, and consequently you, will spend the most time during her stay.”

The more she heard about it, the more it sounded like they were headed for a palace or a fortress, something ripped straight out of a fairy tale. And then they came to a stop, and Korra couldn’t do anything but stare. This place didn’t just sound like a fairy tale, it damn well be one. Compared to the high rise apartment buildings cramped together in the cities back home, this lone building amidst nothing but barren trees and forest looked almost magical. The color of the walls reminded Korra of a sandy beach, and was only interrupted by rows of wide windows and a balcony on either side of the house. The roof, that split the sky high above their heads, mimicked the snow covered woods around them and only made the structure feel more monolithic than it already seemed.

“It’s quite something, is it not?” Mr. Goto asked, and Korra couldn’t help but agree.

“Yeah, you can say that again.” 

He led the car around the house and in the garage, which was, as she learned, not actually the garage she had been informed about earlier, but instead a smaller one usually reserved for guests. Because why wouldn’t a mansion with six bedrooms have any less than two garages? That would be ridiculous, and from what she could gather the Sato’s were anything but ridiculous. She made sure to reach her luggage before the driver had a chance to offer to carry it for her, and followed him out of the garage, which was roughly the size of her apartment, and into a corridor that looked just as gray and bleak as the room they just came from. But the last thing Korra had on her mind right now was complain about the colors of the walls, they could’ve been spray painted neon-pink for all she cared. No, what was really important was that the whole building was graciously heated to a degree that made her jacket feel utterly pointless. It was glorious. While the ride in the car from the airport to the estate hadn’t been exactly cold, she wouldn’t have wanted to slip out of her parka before now and couldn’t wait to do exactly that once she had a chance to go through her suitcase.

She let herself be led through a set of heavy doors, which seemed odd for how elegant the manor had looked from the outside, but didn’t comment on it. The room they found themselves in now reminded her of that big assembly hall they used to have when Korra still went to high school. Only that the few hundred chairs and the stage had been replaced by an uncanny amount of cars that lined the walls, each one of them looking just a tad more expensive than the last, and the various machines, and broken down parts of said machines, that cluttered every bit of free space the room might’ve once offered.

“Ms. Sato?” Mr. Goto called, looking around he seemed to struggle to find her through the thick jungle of scrap metal just as much as Korra did. How anyone was able to find anything in this mess was a mystery to her. There was a sound coming from under, what she assumed to be, a snowmobile slightly elevated above the ground. The unmistakable sound of a metallic tool clattering to the ground rang through the room. 

“Over here, Tak!” Korra heard a new, undoubtedly female, voice coming from the direction they had heard the noise coming from just a moment ago. Navigating through the metallic maze, and being careful not to knock anything over that may just cost more than their entire apartment complex, she found herself face to face with the younger Sato.

Well, ‘face to face’ might have been the wrong choice of words, considering that all she could really see of the woman were her legs as the rest of her form was still hidden under the frame of the snowmobile. Pushing herself out from under the car, the wheels of the creeper that separated her from the floor grinding against the concrete as she did so, Ms. Sato jumped to her feet.

Most of the clients Korra had dealt with in the past three years were high ups, company men and businesswomen, the kind of people that really didn’t like to be seen without their expensive suits and dresses and enough product in their hair and on their faces to create another ozone hole all on by themselves above their penthouses. Ms. Sato, on the other hand, didn’t seem at all concerned with these sort of things. 

It was a funny thing, really, comparing her employee, who stood there in all his pride and had made sure there wasn’t a single crinkle in his ironed out uniform, to his boss, who looked more like she was about to hit the gym than the future CEO of the billion dollar corporation she was supposed to represent. Both her tank top and sweatpants were covered in black patches of grease, and even her face didn’t escape a few strokes of oil and patches of black.

She looked at Korra, then to Mr. Goto, than back to Korra. Asami couldn’t be more than a year or two older than herself. “Ah, you’re here. Asami Sato, PhD,” she introduced herself with a tone that reminded Korra of the icy nothingness waiting just outside the front doors. _ Cold, calculated, and something else. Exhausted, maybe? _ “And you must be Korra, I’d offer you my hand, but…” following Asami’s eyes, which made it exceedingly hard to look anywhere else, Korra realized that her arms, too, were all but completely covered in the same gunk that stuck to the rest of her.

A beat of silence passed, in which neither of them made any attempt look away or break the quiet. It was a test, an unspoken challenge, one Korra was intimately familiar with. Mr. Goto cleared his throat, the game was over - tie.

“If there is nothing else, Ms. Sato, I would show Ms. Korra to her room.” he looked at Asami with an expression Korra couldn’t quiet place, and before she could make up her mind Korra’s attention snapped back to Asami.

“Of course, thank you, Tak.” Asami said, no, smiled, for the first time in the brief moment Korra had met her. Barely visible, but still there. Where Mr. Goto practically beamed without thinking much about it, Asami seemed almost adamant in doing the exact opposite.

Once again Korra was led through the lifeless rooms of the estate, not sure whether she preferred her usual clients over her first encounter with Ms. Sato just yet. _ You wanted something different, _ she reminded herself. _ now deal with it. _


	3. Home Sweet Home

“Ms. Sato doesn’t like me very much, does she?” They had left the garage behind in favor of the more spirited rooms of the estate, and were currently ascending a spiraling staircase that was easily wide enough to comfortably let Korra walk beside Mr. Goto. This part of the mansion was different from what she had seen so far, it had changed from an almost uninviting gray to the friendly whites and lush browns of marble and woodwork. There were paintings here, too. Not of the Sato’s themselves, mind you, but instead of their inventions and accomplishments.

“I would advise not to take anything too personal,” said Mr. Goto as they walked past a series of framed canvases depicting some of Future Industries first attempts at what would be known all over the world as the Satomobile. It was all but otherworldly to think that these machines, with their broad, square frames and engine blocks big enough to stick out of their hoods, were once considered to be the cutting edge of technology. She had expected to find at least a one portrait of Asami and her family somewhere around the foyer, but so far she didn’t have any luck. “When growing up with escorts and bodyguards hovering about, one develops a certain… antipathy for anyone who falls into that line of work.”

“No, I get it, really,” Korra took the moment, in which Mr. Goto’s attention was firmly fixated on fiddling with the batch of keys that he pulled out of the pocket of his uniform, to take another look around the corridor. They found themselves in on the second floor of the estate now, somewhere in the west wing, or at least that’s what she had been told. Korra counted four doors in this corridor alone, she suspected that the other side of the estate would mirror this one all the way to the way door handle creaked as her guide pushed it down and opened the door for her. She made a mental note to ask for the estate’s layout later to prevent any future surprises that might come up. “But I have no intention of getting in the way of you or Ms. Sato, if everything goes the way it should, she won’t even notice I’m here.”

“Well, I am certainly glad to hear it,” Mr. Goto said, stepping aside to let Korra have a look inside what would be her room for the next six weeks. It was almost modest, as modest as it got when you're living under the Sato’s roof, anyway. The room possessed one of the comically large window fronts she had already spotted from below, a lavish, king sized bed between a set of nightstands, as well as an elegant desk that snaked itself along one of the corners of the room. Turning around Korra accepted the keys held out to her. “Breakfast at nine, dinner at eight. Don't be late and we'll get along splendidly. The kitchen is to the first door left downstairs, you look like you haven’t eaten anything at all today,” Korra could hear her stomach rumble at that, she didn’t exactly have time to grab something to eat while hurrying through the airport earlier today. “Now, I'm sure you’ve got quite a few things to unpack, I'll let you to it.”

“Thanks, Mr. Goto” Korra said sheepishly, letting the keys drop into the pockets of her jeans and turning around to get started sorting through the mess that was her luggage. 

“Takuya is quite alright, Ms. Korra,” he called out behind himself before vanishing behind another corner.

Sparing a quick glance at her phone Korra found that the connection was indeed completely dead all the way out here, she was suddenly very grateful she had decided to take those books with her.

—

Asami wiped away any leftover grease on her hands and threw the dirtied rag back on a nearby table. With the new parts she’d built in they’d finally be able to get rid of the headache inducing fuel problem that had plagued the ‘Trinity’ model ever since it’s earliest stages in development. And while that likely wouldn’t be enough to get them the definitive edge over their competitors that Asami strived for, it would at the very least get those climate activists off their backs. Hopefully. Just as Asami reached for the bottle of water next to her toolbox, she heard a familiar voice coming from behind her.

“So, what happened to trying to play nice?” Takuya asked, he had changed from the standardized Future Industries uniform to a white, buttoned up shirt, a pair of black slacks and hard shoes that clicked rhythmically against the floor of the garage. His definition of casual, as Asami had learned many years ago.

“I’m always nice,” Asami protested, emptying the bottle and putting it aside.

“Mhm, I could see that. But I should be glad, at least you didn’t throw a wrench after this one.” he was grinning now, and Asami had the sudden urge to test just how well he would be able to dodge said wrench.

“I was twelve, and it didn't even hit him,” Asami said, folding her arms in front of her chest. “And in my defense, I had just seen The Dark Knight for the first time and that guy had an uncanny resemblance to Harvey Dent. All I’m saying is that I wouldn’t have entrusted my daughter’s safety to Two-Face.”

“And what has Ms. Waters done to earn your everlasting scorn in the all but five minutes you have known her? All the while not letting her get in a single word, might I add.” 

“Nothing, yet,” Asami conceded, it was the same procedure with every new glorified babysitter her father hired to ensure her ‘safety’. “But she will, they always do. They get in the way, they cause trouble and they think they can just come in here and push me around like some… some thing that needs to be taken care of.”

“All I am asking is that you give her a chance, alright, Asami? Perhaps she will surprise you.” Takuya pleaded, she loosened her posture. With how much he’d perfected the guilt-trip-eyes one would think he’d run Future Industries by now.

“Or perhaps she won’t,” Asami said, “It’s… look, I get that dad wants to make sure I’m safe when I’m somewhere abroad on business, or even in the city. But out here? What's she gonna save me from, a power outage?”

“I don’t know the reasons your father had to send her here, but I say we trust in his judgment for now,” he said as he turned around and headed for the door. “Just try not to claw her eyes out before the first week is over, even if it would get Future Industries back on the front page of the papers.”

Asami flipped him off even as she knew he couldn’t see her anymore. “I'll have you know that I had a very traumatic childhood, ask my psychiatrists, they’ll tell you!”


	4. Patterns past and present

There was something comforting about patterns, the way that every Satomobile, if broken down to its fundamental framework, followed the same basic template that made them what they were. Logical, systematic - they simply made sense. And those patterns weren’t exclusive to man-made machines either, no, in reality everything could be broken down to its smallest components, and only then were these patterns visible. From the petals of a flower, the seashells washing up on a sandy beach, a beehive’s honeycomb, all the way to the shape of the galaxy – everything followed the same basic principles.

Asami had considered biology for a time, to observe those very patterns and find the answers they kept hidden, discover them where no one thought to look. Of course, that was before her mother's accident and her father’s spiking interest in her choice of career. Sometimes she wondered what might have happened had she defied the family’s legacy and chased that fantasy, perhaps she would have ended up with a doctorate in biology instead of engineering. That would’ve been something, wouldn’t it? Not that she wasn’t good at what she did now, quite the contrary, and in time she had even come to appreciate the profession, but that lingering feeling of what might have been never left her. And who knew? Maybe there was another twenty-four year old Asami Sato out there right now, dressed in a wide, pearly white lab coat that obscured her features as she stood hunched over a microscope, somewhere in that endless, spiraling galaxy. She hoped that they shared her love for patterns, perhaps then she would understand her current frustration.

Her life didn’t have very many patterns, no, there really only was one constant that kept repeating itself – that she wanted to repeat itself every year. _ Vacation _ , is what Tak called it, but it was so much more than that. It gave her a chance to work without the distractions of the city, and even more important, it allowed her to work on something that was truly _ hers _. With the estate she wasn’t improving her parent’s designs, she wasn’t simply modifying the accomplishments of other great engineers that came before her, but instead creating something that was hers, and hers alone. Her kingdom, her domain - where none may enter but those she wanted to.

Until now, anyway.

She didn’t know – didn’t understand – why her father would sent some third-rate bodyguard here after years of them making the trip alone without ever running into trouble. Asami wished she could talk to him, let him give her a good reason why there was this woman was here disrupting her patterns by stalking every last inch of the house like there might be a bomb hidden under every tile of floor. But she couldn’t, as the very reason she had chosen this location in the first place had been it’s remoteness and detachment from the outside world. And maybe that was what her father was counting on, after all she had only learned about Korra’s presence through a sealed envelope, after they were already on their way and far enough from any town that calling was out of the question.

But there was little point in theorizing about what her father’s reasons might have been, she wouldn’t get her answers until they were heading back to the settlement in a few weeks. So instead she tried to focus on the present, determined not to let this uninvited guest impact her work any more than she already did. A task easier said than done, as the other woman very rarely let her her out of her sights. She woke up some time before Asami, something she figured out a few days in when she saw her already up and awake jogging laps around the manor grounds early enough that any sane person would go right back to sleep. How she didn’t freeze to death in the morning cold was a mystery to Asami, even with the gear she kept in the garage taking trips at this hour wasn’t exactly a comfortable affair – something she learned the hard way when they were still doing repairs outside and she ended up positively frozen and bedridden for a good week and a half. Korra didn’t seem to mind, however, otherwise Asami wouldn’t be able to watch her run the same track through the snow every morning without fail. And whenever she wasn’t busy doing that, then she was shadowing Asami wherever she went. Asami could almost feel her breathing down her neck as she sat across the room, eyes flickering over the layout plans for the estate that hadn’t seen daylight in years. Every now and again Korra’s eyes would look up from the documents and scan the room until they inevitable settled on Asami, like she would suddenly disappear if her watchdog stopped making sure she hadn’t run off yet like a clockwork.

She had almost hoped that this one would be different, that for once she wouldn’t have to put up with the distant stares and cold analysis’ that she had come to hate growing up Hiroshi Sato’s daughter, but alas some things never change. Asami knew exactly what Korra was doing, what she tried to do with every angled question masked as pleasantry, with the way she watched her whenever she thought Asami wasn’t looking – she was trying to figure her out, get to the bottom of the mystery of her person, that’s something every new guard her father hired shared. At least it made this whole affair that much easier, it them easy to forget, all of them blending together into a bland pile of tuxedos and dark sunglasses. _At least that way she’s different._ it very nearly made her laugh, considering that her newest observer dressed anything but how she had come to expect employees of Future Industries Security to look like. Maybe she thought that it would get Asami to open up more easily to her, that it would help her crack the code. _Five more weeks_, Asami reminded herself, _and then I'll have to have a serious word with father about this...situation._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't really feel this chapter. I dunno, maybe because it's slower than the others, but I decided to put it up anyways as even after some rewrites my feelings didn't really change.  
Anyway, I still hope you enjoyed this week's dose of Korrasami - take care y'all and don't let Monday push you under too bad!


	5. Self Defense

Infuriating; if someone were to ask Korra to describe her newest client, she'd tell them that Asami Sato was completely and utterly infuriating. And it wasn't so much what she did that made working with her all but impossible, no, it was what she didn't do. So far she was doing her very best in making Korra's job as hard as possible, either not answering her questions at all and conveniently finding an excuse to leave the conversation behind, or simply deflecting the question toward a topic that had nothing to do with Korra's initial intentions. She had spend the better part of the week trying to find out why she was sent here in the first place and still hadn't come any closer to finding the answers she was after. _ Any potential enemies your father might have? _ Feigned ignorance. _ Any local threats she knows of that might explain the extra security? _Nothing.

To say that her work here was frustrating would have been an understatement. During both breakfast and dinner Asami would variate between staying completely silent or ignoring Korra’s presence completely and simply pretending she didn't exist at all. And honestly? She wasn't sure which of the two she preferred. 

Which is why, when Korra had asked some routine questions about the history of the estate over breakfast, and Asami's answers consisted of more than two syllables, she had been surprised to say the least.

"I bought the place a few years back from a family living in a settlement up north, they inherited the whole thing from their grandparents that had abandoned it long before that, so when they came to inspect the property they found it in shambles. When we first got here there were more leaks in the ceiling than actual roof. You see that wall over there?" Asami pointed towards a painting hanging below one of the staircases leading to the rooms on the second floor, "For the first few weeks we didn't have to use the front doors because there was a hole in that wall big enough to walk through." they made their way past the lobby, leaving the brightly furnished room for one of the corridors leading deeper into the house.

"Every year we'd come here, we'd spent weeks filling the holes in the roof and trying to figure out why we couldn't get the damned electricity in the garage to work properly." a quick smile flashed over her face at the memory, it was gone as quickly as it appeared. Korra wondered of maybe she had imagined it. "It was fun for a while, made me forget that as soon as I'd take a step out of the plane back home I'd be thrown back into reality. And now you're here, in the one place where I could be anything else than Hiroshi Sato’s daughter - I suppose it really was too much to ask for, wasn’t it?" she paused briefly, then turned to face Korra for the first time since they had left the kitchen. "There you have it, are you satisfied, or would you like to see pictures, too? Maybe have someone ratify what I told you just in case I made it up on the spot?”

“I didn’t mean to-”

“Of course you didn’t,” Asami shook her head, “you people never ‘mean to’, but that hasn’t stopped you from doing it anyway.” 

“With all due respect, Ms. Sato, I’m only trying to do my job here. If your father went out of his way to ensure your safety, then I’m sure that there’s a very good reason for it.”

“I don’t need him to ‘ensure my safety’, I don’t need to hear his reasons, and I don’t need a bodyguard in a frozen wasteland kilometres away from any signs of civilization!” It occurred to Korra, that during all her time at the estate, she had never seen Asami angry. Sure, she wore a scowl like it was the latest fashion, and if her tone wasn’t annoyed it usually dripped of sarcasm, but she had never gotten particularly angry over any of Korra’s questions before now. 

“It’s not my place to question Mr. Sato’s judgment, but I can think of worse things than having a father who is worried about your safety.”  
“I can protect myself! I don’t need some… some hired goon to look big and intimidation for me every time I so much as think of leaving the house.”

“I don’t doubt that, but nevertheless-” Asami didn’t wait for her reply, instead turning around and heading for one of the doors leading inside the back of the estate. “Where are you going?”

“The gym - only if that’s alright with you, of course. I'd hate to inconvenience you, Ms. Waters, really.” They were back at sarcasm now, it seemed. “I really feel like hitting something right now. Why don’t you come along? Since you’re so concerned with my safety, I can show you just how well I can take care of myself.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Well, it’s a good thing then that I don’t care much for your opinion on that matter.” With that Asami vanished behind the door, leaving Korra to chase after her. Maybe her mother had been right and she should’ve chosen to stay, finally get around and graduate, find a normal job - maybe take the position in that daycare across the street. At least that way Korra would have been paid to wrangle children instead of it being the unwelcome bonus it turned out to be.

Korra shook her head, but followed her anyway. The least she could do was to make sure Asami didn’t hurt herself trying to show off, though if her client had been anyone else than a Sato the temptation might have been too great to just let it happen anyway. And to think she’d expected this job to be boring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To whomever flipped the switch that turned 'pleasant autumn' into 'freezing winter' during the last week, we should have a chat, just the two of us, I may or may not bring a crowbar.  
Aaaanyway, I'll see y'all dudes and dudettes next week - take care!


	6. Hidden Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for missing last week’s upload, life got in the way, as it tends to do.  
Anyways, here's an early chapter⁓

The thing with bad ideas was that, in theory, they didn't _ sound _like bad ideas until it was way too late to turn around. This was different. Korra knew that this had been a bad idea from the moment she stepped into the gym. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen one from the inside, and truth be told, she was thankful for that. She had enough unpleasant memories swimming around in her head as it was, no need for more to pile onto them. 

Still, even if this hall looked nothing like the ones she used to frequent, Korra could almost hear it in the distance, the sound of fists rhythmically hitting against the punching bags, the rain splattering against the rooftops, her coach yelling something in that accent she never could quite place. 

Korra shook her head, trying to clear her mind and shake off the memories that clung to her like a second skin. It didn't work, it very rarely did. 

It's right there before her eyes, the newspaper articles, the trophy cases she filled, the smiles of her parents and that feeling of being on top of the world - and then it's all gone, gone with the wind, gone like sand running through her fingers, gone like another unsolved police report collecting dust in some office halfway across the planet. 

In the end it's a sound that saved Korra from her own thoughts, and when she looks around a room she finds Asami staring at her, the bag previously slung around her shoulder having landed on the floor next to her, an expression that would've been a curious smile on anyone else’s face tucking at her lips. _ Get it together, _ Korra thought, catching up to the other woman, _ what was that about not letting your accident affect your job? _

It was true, she had sworn to let the past be exactly that a long time ago, wishing that a new haircut and a change of scenery would have been enough to stop her mind from wandering to the darker corners, enough to keep the broken girl at bay who so desperately wanted to crawl back out from below the shadows. _ That girl is gone _, Korra reminded herself, but it didn't make the things in her head any less real or any less dangerous.

She tried to push it all back, to lock all the memories away somewhere dark and far away, some place where they couldn't reach her anymore. _ Focus, Korra. _When she opened her eyes again, she realized that breathing had become easier, if only a little. 

Across the room she found Asami, who had abandoned both her shoes and her jacket somewhere on her way there, and was now pacing around one of the punching bags much like a shark might circle it's prey. Korra decided to watch her for a moment, not that there was much else she could do. There was energy and intent behind every punch and every kick, she found, but much like Korra once did, what Asami brought in raw power, she lacked in technique. 

Apparently her observation hasn't gone unnoticed, as Asami stopped what she was doing a moment later, raising an eyebrow and turning to face Korra. "What?" 

"Nothing," Korra lied, trying to look anywhere but Asami's eyes. The air tasted like sweat and rubber, and for just a moment she’s back in the city. She wasn't a very good liar, but maybe she was just good enough.

"So that whole 'I'm going to murder you in your sleep' look you’ve got going on since we entered is just what, part of the package?" 

"Your technique."

"What?" 

"You asked why I was watching, you’ve got awful technique." 

"I suppose you are the expert, aren't you?”

Korra was about to reply when she was forced back, dodging a kick aimed at her stomach. She quickly found her balance again, throwing Asami a questioning look.

“Guess you’ll just have to show me some of that ‘proper technique’ then, won’t you?.”

“I’m not gonna hurt you.”

"Who says I'll give you the chance?" again Korra was pushed further back, doing her best to keep a safe distance between them. As it turned out Asami Sato was anything if not persistent, for better or worse. 

"I won't hit you either, I'm here to prevent that, remember?” 

"For the last time,” Korra felt something press against her back, and only then did she realize that she had run out of space, “I don't need anyone's protection." she was fighting a losing battle, but like the coach used to say, _ if you can’t win a fight, change the game _.

“All right, you win,” Korra breathed, catching Asami off guard and pushing back, “but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” it wasn’t a fair fight, far from it, but there wasn’t much Korra could do about it short of a tying one of her hands behind her back, maybe both. There was a familiar spark that filled her limbs, now, a spark that only grew the longer she moved through the familiar motions. They were almost at the opposite end of the hall, now, and Korra was only getting started. Asami was on the defensive, trying to block as much as she could -- Korra had no intention of actually hitting her, but Asami didn’t have to know that.

Her eyes landed on the wall ahead of them, and for a moment she sees her, the girl without legs, without a future, and then she’s everywhere. She smell of rain against concrete, like blood in her mouth and metal piercing her skin. There’s rain prickling on her face, she hears the distant sound of cars so impossibly far away, the fear that paralysed the broken girl, that made her afraid to do anything but watch.

Asami lands a hit, her hand making contact with the scar running over Korra’s stomach. It never did heal right, it never could heal right. Asami looked surprised more than anything, maybe she had expected her to dodge, or block, or do anything else than to stare at the empty wall.

And then she was gone.

There’s a gun, she never even heard the shot go off before the world grew so distant. She can’t feel her legs, why can’t she feel her legs?

There’s no rain, no gun, no hospital and no nameless men all telling her the same things she doesn’t want to hear, doesn’t want to believe.

Korra looked around the room, disoriented for a moment before reality kicked in. The job, Future Industries, the plane, the car, the estate, Asami Sato-- Asami Sato. She lets go of the woman, her hands twisted behind her back and already forming bright red patches where Korra’s hands had held onto her. She staggers back, her eyes flickering from place to place. Asami stared at her, eyes wide and mouth just slightly agape. And then she was smiling, genuinely smiling, and Korra was about ready to wake up from whatever weird dream this was.

“I should get back to work,” she finally said, every bit as collected as she ever was, and as she turned around to leave she added, “I do hope we get a chance to do this again, Ms. Waters, it was truly insightful.”

Korra couldn’t do anything but watch her go, unsure what, or if, to say anything at all. This really should’ve been the point where she woke up, but she didn’t, and she wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Korra wasn’t sure how long she simply stood there, watching the snow outside, through the single window that connected the room to the world, didn’t know whether it had been seconds, minutes, or hours. It reminded her of home, and maybe it was that memory that made her go after Asami, or maybe something else entirely, but she knew that she had to do _ something. _She wasn't broken, not anymore, not ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In other news, I finally got a chance to see the new Joker flick this weekend (which was fantastic, by the by, so go see it if you can)
> 
> Also, I feel like I need to give a quick shout out to CHORUS, as nobody seems to know about it: do you like musicals? Adventure? Romance? A bit of murder? How about Greek mythology?  
If you answered yes to any of these questions, boy do I have a kickstarter for you: [CHORUS, a first of its kind adventure musical](https://www.fig.co/campaigns/chorus-an-adventure-musical)  
I think it would be a shame for something as vibrant and unique as this not to reach its goal, so chip in if you're able to, but please don't feel obliged to do so if you aren't! :) (being a broke student myself I settled for one of the lower tiers, and only in part because I already ship Grace and Freddie)


	7. Honesty

By the time Korra left the gym the weather outside had turned from light snowfall to an all out blizzard - a dizzying array of whites and silvers drowning out what little color remained in the barran woods. She tried to ignore the howling wind, instead concentrating on the sound of her footsteps echoing in the hallway, the even intakes of her own breath. This shouldn’t have happened, she shouldn’t have allowed this to happen. 

The corridors appeared endless, today even more so than usual. Again Korra tried to wrap her mind around what exactly it was that had happened, once more coming to the same unsatisfying conclusion. It was as if someone had simply reached inside her mind and cut out the memories she was looking for. Not good enough.

Korra pushed open the double doors leading inside the garage, leaving behind any and all thoughts of ‘shouldn’t have’ and ‘could have’. Immediately Asami stopped what she was doing, looking up from what was left of a grease-covered engine whose innards lay spread out around it. 

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she said, her attention returning to her work.

Korra blinked, not moving from her place next to the door. “I… I wanted to apologize, for what happened earlier.”

“Don’t.”

“No, I don’t think you understand - I don’t know what came over me just then. It shouldn’t have happened and I’m sorry.”

“I mean it, you’ve got nothing to apologize for.”

“I could’ve seriously hurt you.”

“But you didn’t.” Asami’s hand brushed over the sleeve of her jacket, right where the skin of her wrist was hidden below the fabric. “I’d lie if I didn’t find this other side of you rather refreshing.”

“I don’t plan on letting whatever happened today repeat itself.”

“That’s a shame, I quite liked her, actually - she had something that you lack, she was honest in what she did. Perhaps the first honest person I’ve met in a very long time.”

“You wouldn’t like me being honest, Ms. Sato, believe me.” she shouldn’t have said anything. What was wrong with her?

“What if I did?” Asami asked, leaning forward on the skeletal engine and putting her tools aside, “Try me, Ms. Waters. Be honest, just this once.”

There was a part of Korra that wanted to keep quiet, and usually that part would’ve won, too. But today was anything but usual, and right now all she wanted to do was yell, yell at the storm, yell at herself for crumbling so easily, yell at Asami for being so infuriatingly nonchalant about the whole affair. “I’ve seen your type a million times already,” she wanted honesty? Then honesty is what she’ll get. “You assume you’re the smartest person in the room, since that’s what you’ve been told all your life. You’re always looking for a challenge, but only if you can make sure you’re going to win. You think I don’t know people like you? How you smile and pretend like there’s nothing that could ever make you be anything less than the world expects you to be? Go ahead, stop me if I’m wrong.” there was a brief pause, in which Asami simply stared at her, Korra continued, long beyond caring, long beyond feeling anything but the need to release every bit of built up frustration. “You’d break apart if you ever really did fail at something that mattered, that’s why you’re here, working your vacation away in the middle of nowhere, working on project after project that are practically foolproof if you only invest enough time into them. Don’t look so surprised, or did you really think I was that much of an idiot that I wouldn’t even realize that much? What you do here is trivial, even I can tell that much.”

Another pause, this one threatening to stretch into eternity before it was over not a second later. Asami pushed her chair backwards, getting on her feet and reminding Korra that she was just the tiniest bit taller. “You think you’re so clever, don’t you? That you’ve figured me out, lifted the curtain and shed light into the dark? It took me longer than usual to understand you, I’ll admit that much, but in the end you’re just like the others. You place people, sort them into neat little piles and push them into boxes - that way it’s just that much easier to write them off, isn’t it? Guess what, I’m Asami _ fucking _Sato and you don’t get to push me in some box just because you can’t handle that I’m more than whatever the tabloids tell you about me, more than some puzzle for you to try and bang your head against until its solved.”

Korra didn’t exactly know when it happened, but at some point Asami had made her way around the desk and was now standing not an arms length away. “But you can’t do that, can you? Because that’s exactly what I am to you; some precious, fragile thing to take care of, a puzzle to piece together, another job under your belt to forget sooner rather than later.” it might’ve been a laugh in another life, but what came out of Asami’s mouth sounded more coarse and empty than anything else. “Well, then, _ go ahead, stop me if I’m wrong _, Ms. Waters.”

Somewhere in the distance a bell rang, which was good, considering that Korra had a feeling that neither of them would’ve left that room unscathed if they hadn’t been called for dinner. Neither of them said anything, Asami quickly brushing past her and making a b-line for the door. _ Great _ , Korra thought leaving the garage behind, _ somehow you managed to make this even more uncomfortable. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I ever mention that originally this was supposed to be pure, unapologetic fluff? Like, tooth-rotting, cuddling in front of the fireplace and drinking hot chocolate kinda fluff? Yeah, guess you could say I went off the rails with that idea. But there's fluff coming, eventually, boy scout promise. We're just gonna have to dig through a decade of emotional baggage first - fun times ahead.  
Anyways - take care y'all and until next week!


	8. Talk

If the silence over dinner had been uncomfortable before, it had reached the point of deafening tonight. It hung thick in the air; so much in fact, that Korra was afraid she might just cut through it if she wasn’t careful enough with the knife.  _ Just like back home _ , Korra realized, only that her parents had been replaced by what were essentially strangers, even after more than two weeks of sharing the same rooms practically every day. Asami was the first to move, disposing of what remained on her plate and vanishing into the corridors. Korra listened to the stairs creak under each of her steps, and only after she heard the heavy door to her room shut close behind her did she allow herself to close her eyes and breathe for what felt like the first time in hours.

Korra rubbed her eyes, she was tired – beyond tired – and all she wanted to do was fall into bed and sleep for another four weeks. But she didn’t move, didn’t push her chair back or make any efforts to stand. Instead she sat there, losing herself in her thoughts and wondering just how badly she would regret it if she simply slept right here.

“I don’t suppose either of you two is going to tell me who died today?” Korra had to keep herself from jumping at the sound of another voice, something that didn’t go unnoticed by her onlooker. Placing the leftover plates and cutlery in the sink, Takuya leaned back against the cupboard, watching her intently.

“I think I messed up.” Korra said, finally. It wasn’t his problem, she knew that, but she had to talk to  _ someone _ ,  _ anyone _ , really, and it wasn’t like there was much choice in who she could entrust herself to all the way out here – Asami definitely wasn’t an option, so that made the choice virtually nonexistent.

But perhaps Korra had made the wrong decision after all, as Takuya began to laugh. Just a short crack in the facade of professionalism that seemed to follow the man around, but enough to make Korra push back her chair and prepare to turn in for the night. He seemed to realize his misstep, and gestured for her to stay.

“I apologize if that came out the wrong way, it wasn’t my intention to offend.” Takuya reassured her, “You just reminded me of someone for a second there.” another long moment of silence followed, though where they had previously been uncomfortable and kept her on edge, this one appeared almost welcoming. Korra let her head drop into her arms that were perched up on the table, listening to the sound of the tap water flowing and the clinking of plates.

“I think she was seven, or maybe eight, when it happened,” he continued. “I hadn’t been working all that long for the Satos at that point, not much longer than a few months at most, but I remember that it was summer. I was sorting through some papers that Mr. Sato requested, and was about to deliver them to his office, when I heard it; a  _ bang _ that rang through the whole estate like someone had rigged a bomb to explode right there and then.”

Korra was now watching him attentively, his back turned to her as he finished the dishes. Still, she wasn’t sure where this anecdote was supposed to go and didn’t make any attempts to leave.

“So I drop the papers and bolt for the sound of the explosion, right? Someone might’ve been hurt, or Raava knows what else.” Korra nodded absently, even if he had his back turned to her. She really should get some sleep. “I burst into the workshop from where I thought the sound came from, and who do I find there? Little Asami, covered from head to toe in oil and grease and what else, sitting in the midst of what little was left of the engine that blew and had made the whole house shake.” turning-off the running water and drying his hands on a towel he turned around to continue. “And she just sat there, with her big green eyes and looked up to me, smiled and said-”

“I think I messed up,” Korra finished, finding that there was a smile playing on her lips that she hadn’t noticed before. 

“Precisely. And then she started to laugh, like almost blowing herself up was the funniest thing in the world. Now, the problem wasn’t with the broken machinery, that could be replaced, after all, no, it lay with the fact that Asami’s laughter could be rather infectious, so when Mr. Sato came into the workshop a moment later and found us giggling like fools – well, let’s just say he had a quite few questions.”

Takuya’s face mirrored her own, now, only that there was something more there, hidden behind his eyes – it was almost like… but no, that would be silly. “It’s hard to image that Asami ever smiled that much, not to mention laughed.” she said instead, trying to shake off the sleep that began to play tricks on her mind.

“Time changes people, and sometimes all we can do is hope that it does so for the better – wouldn’t you agree, Ms. Korra?” there was something almost challenging in his tone, Korra couldn’t be sure whether or not it was the sleepiness or not that made her think so. “But to return to the topic at hand, what did you say you did that was so unforgivable?”

“Things got kinda heated earlier between Asami and me, I said some things that were way out of line, things that I’m going to regret, things that I’m already regretting”

“Are you planning to be any more specific with that? Or perhaps I should fetch the crystal ball and predict your future while I’m already trying to read your mind?”

“She asked me to tell her the truth, about what I think of her.” Korra confessed, suppressing the urge to burrow her head in her arms again.

“Ah,” Takuya said, taking a seat opposite from her. “I wondered how long it would take until that particular question arose, though I must say I’m not surprised that you were the first to answer truthfully.”

“Wait, you’re telling me that none of the other guards that came before me over the years ever…” Korra trailed off, trying to wish the truth away.

Takuya shook his head. “But that does explain Asami’s behavior, you must’ve thrown her off balance, said something she didn’t expect – or didn’t want – to hear.”

“I’m her bodyguard, for Raava’s sake, not her psychiatrist, I’m supposed to make sure she’s safe, not fight some pointless argument and make her hate me.”

“Hate you? No, I wouldn’t go that far. I’d say it’s quite the contrary, after all you were close enough to say something that seemed to  _ affect  _ her more than she thought it would.”

Korra took a moment for herself, in which she tried to form a somewhat coherent thought but failed multiple times, before getting on her feet. “So what you’re saying is that she didn’t hate me before but  _ definitely _ does so now, fantastic.”

“Perhaps it’s time someone made her look at things from an outside perspective, and perhaps you’re the person to make her do so. Like I said, time changes people; but it’s important to remember that the person underneath is still there, whether we want them to be or not.”

“You know, you’re pretty wise – for a driver.”

“I’ve been told to have my moments.”

Korra took a few more steps toward the corridor, turning around once she stood in the doorframe. “Good night, Takuya. And thanks for the talk”

“Good night, Ms. Korra.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, after spending the better part of the week fighting through 'Steppenwolf' for class (and depleting my stash of post-its in the process) getting to work on this again was the breath of fresh air I needed. It’s not even that the book is bad per se, but I do vastly prefer to read in English rather than German, and Hesse has a way with words that make sentences drag on for pages at a time.  
Anyway, that’s enough whining for today. Take care y’all, and until next week!


	9. Promises

Korra woke to the sound of a firing engine. Jumping into a fresh set of clothes she raced down the nearest set of stairs, only sparing a quick glance to check the time before she passed into the lobby and burst into the garage. She wasn’t sure what to expect, the last two years of her life having taught her to be safe rather than sorry and not to take any chances. Catching her breath, Korra was almost disappointed when all she found inside was Asami Sato hovering about. 

“You’re awake,” she remarked, her voice heavy with sleep. What might've been surprise was quickly gone, she adjusted her posture “Give me a hand?”

Asami stood behind one of the larger snowmobiles, the machine now humming low, and placed a heavy-looking container on top of it before fastening the straps around it to tie it in place.

“What… what are you doing?” Korra asked,  _ what are you doing at 6AM? _ should have been the question.  _ Please let this be a dream, it’s far too early for whatever this is. _

“I’m going out, it’s the first warm day of the season and I’m not going to waste it by sitting inside all day.” Asami replied, fishing a pair of gloves out of a nearby drawer, am action that made Korra question whether she knew the definition of the word  _ warm _ .

“And where exactly where you planning to go?” There wasn’t exactly much around these parts, except snow and dead trees, that was.

Asami gestured for Korra to follow her, pressing a button on the remote to open the garage door, and led her outside. The morning air bit into whatever patch of free skin it could find, Korra kept herself from shivering - she wouldn't give Asami the satisfaction. Following Asami’s eyes she found herself squinting against the darkness, until she found it, barely visible in the distance - a series of smaller mountains adorning the horizon.

“It’s been a while, but I still know my way to the top.”

“You want to climb that thing?” Korra asked, revisiting the dream-theory. 

Asami nodded, turning her attention back to finishing her preparations.

“You do see how that might interfere with the whole ‘not letting you plummet to your death’ part of my contract, right?”

“You can stay here if you want, I’m going.” Asami sounded determined, her tone reminding her if the day she first met her.

Sighing, Korra searched the room for another set of outdoor-gear. “I could always tie you up, you know? Would make my job a hell of a lot easier.”

Asami paused what she was doing and looked Korra in the eye. “Oh, I bet you’d love to.”

She walked into that one. “Do you always resort to innuendo when you’re uncomfortable?” 

“Uncomfortable? I’m plenty comfortable, Miss Waters, but I do suggest you to hurry, we have a long drive ahead of us and I don’t intent to waste any daylight.”

-

Korra’s fingers felt numb and frozen, her legs aching and desperately searching for purchase on the soil. If she were to guess, she’d say that it was some time past midday now, the sun having passed its zenith a while ago. Most of the pathways were in somewhat decent shape, although many of them were covered in layers of snow and ice and practically undetectable for anyone unfamiliar with the terrain. Asami, as it turned out, seemed intimately familiar with every rock and crack they passed. The problem were the passages that  _ weren’t  _ in any shape to speak of; far too narrow caves, jagged cliffs sharpened by the elements, hooks hammered into the stone long frozen over and looking like they might give in at any moment.

Heights never had much of an effect on Korra, but looking down now she remembered one of Asami’s comments when they first began climbing,  _ Just don’t look down _ . Korra scoffed,  _ very helpful. _

Ahead of her Asami made her way across a particularly narrow cliffside, a certain grace in her movements as she carefully moved forward and snaked the rope around each new hook, testing each knew knot briefly before continuing. A moment later she was across, looking back at Korra almost challengingly. “How’s this for trivial?”

“Is that what this is about? I apologized for what I said, didn't I?” Korra asked, feeling a spark if anger rus ein her. She ignored it, guiding her own rope around the first hook and stepping on the ledge. Another step forward, another hook. Slowly she was getting the hang of this. 

“Not everything is about- look out!” Korra felt it before her mind caught up to what was happening - she was slipping. The rope slid out of her hand and for a brief moment, she simply fell. 

The rope stretched, ultimately keeping her from falling further and propelling her hard against the side of the mountain.

“Korra!” somewhere above Asami cried out her name, Korra shook her head, trying to place her legs on the wall and climb back up that way. She gripped the rope with her hands and tried to pull herself up, her body aligned horizontally against the cliff.  _ Once, twice, _ her right hand reached a little higher, she was about to pull again when she felt the rope giving in just a little bit.  _ No.  _ The hook must have begun to loosen itself, not used to carrying that much weight so abruptly.  _ Think, Korra _ . Another pulse rocked through the rope. Korra tried to grip the frozen wall, her gloved fingers slipping. She pulled the gloves off, using her teeth to free her fingers. 

Korra ignored the cold, the frozen wind and the pain in her fingers as she tried to find purchase in the mountainside, clawing at the stone and ice. It was no use. A second later the hook slipped out of the stone, and she was once again falling.

And then, then she wasn’t anymore. The rope woven around her stomach pulled hard at her - something was holding her in place. Tilting her head she couldn’t make out what it was. Korra didn’t have the luxury of time to waste any more of it thinking about why she wasn’t crêpes at the foot of the mountain - she began to climb again.  _ Once, twice _ , and then she saw it, or rather  _ her _ . Asami, leaning hard against the wall behind her, was holding onto Korra’s rope with all the strength she had, her face red from the frost and exertion. A small smile built up on her face upon seeing Korra holding on. “You know," she said through gritted teeth, exhaustion audible in her voice," you’re heavier than you look.”

With one last pull Korra could almost grab the edge of the cliff - as it turned out, she didn't have to. Asami reached forward and helping her the last bit.

Korra fell forward, crushing the other woman below her on the ice. There was something bubbling up inside of her, and only when she heard herself did Korra realize that she was laughing. She rolled over, lying on her back and watching the cloudless sky above. She was alive, and right now that was reason enough to laugh a little.

“I’m sorry,” Asami said a moment later, “Fuck, Korra, I’m so sorry.”

“You saved me," Korra replied, her laughter dying in her throat. "what are you apologizing for?”

“You were wrong when you said that this was about what you said the other day,” Asami began, turning her head to look at Korra. “In truth this was about me, I wanted to prove to myself that I can do this, that I- that I’m not what you think I am. And now look at us, I almost got you killed for Raava’s sake. And for what? For my vanity?”

“I shouldn’t have said anything, it wasn’t my place to say anything in the first place.”

“But it was true, even if I didn’t want it to be. And I’m glad you did.”

Korra pushed herself up, feeling every strained muscle in her arms as she propped herself up against the wall. Asami settled next to her. 

“What are we doing here, Korra?”

“Last time I checked I was supposed to keep you from getting yourself killed.”

“Good to know almost dying hasn’t robbed you of your sense of humor,” Asami laughed, actually laughed, and closed her eyes for a moment. “How about we try this again? Try something new, a fresh start, maybe?"

Korra cocked her head to the side, prompting her to continue.

“Alright, I’ll start; Hello, my name is Asami, I graduated with a doctorate in engineering and have been working for my father's company ever since. I’m competitive to a fault and both very cold and very miserable right now.” she extended her hand and did her best to keep her face straight. 

Korra took her hand. “Hi, I’m Korra and was sent here by Future Industries to make sure you don’t blow yourself up. I have a tendency to overanalyze situations; something that makes me very good and very bad at my job sometimes.”

“Pleased to meet you, Korra.” Asami breathed, there was that laugh again. It really was infectious.

“Likewise. Now how about we go home before my hands are completely frozen off?”

“There’s a path not far from here that should be safe,” Asami got to her feet, clearing the snow from her trousers and extending a hand to help Korra to her feet. “Ready?”

“Yeah, I think I had just about enough excitement for today.” Asami lead her around another ridge, careful no keep away from the ledge. “And Korra? No more apologies, please.”

“No more apologies.” Korra repeated, it felt like a promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, NaNoWriMo almost made me forget this fic was a thing, but at least it made me stop obsessing over rewriting the same outline for the dozenth time (spoilers: it's still not anywhere near finished). Also it made me realize that I'm a lot more perfectionistic trying to outline something other than fanfic, which is both good and bad - I heard you like side plots, so I put side plots in your side plot so you can read about side plots while you try to figure out the side plots!  
Anyway, I got the first 5k-ish words knocked out and that's it from me for this week - take care y'all!


	10. Dreamcatcher

Korra didn’t dream much, never had. It was a way of escaping, the dreaming – maybe that’s why she wouldn’t allow herself to do so. 

Tonight she did dream. Tonight was one of _ those _ nights. And it was always the same dream, like a broken record playing over and over again. Korra didn't know which dreams were worse, the ones that still somehow managed to surprise her, or the ones where she knew exactly what was going to happen and could do nothing to prevent it. 

Tonight she dreamt the latter.

It rained that night, that was one of the things that never changed no matter how distorted the dreams got. Korra used to like the sound of the rain splashing against the gym windows, a familiar buzz underneath the chatter and faraway music. Another thing she would never get back. Stolen. Lost. Buried.

“Ready for your big day?” they all look so much younger here, so different, in this strange mirror of a time long passed. A time that _ should’ve _ passed. Why didn’t it pass? _ Because you won’t let it pass _ . Mako looked all but alien without his beard, without the scar, without the tired circles under his eyes. _ His eyes _ , Korra thought, _ at least they’re the same _. They’re bright, and warm, so, so warm, and for just a moment they make her forget what will happen next. She tried to look away, to turn around and walk away, close her eyes and shut everything out. Korra didn’t move, Korra didn’t have dreams, after all, only nightmares.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” it was a private joke, sometimes she missed those. Mako smiled and shook his head in mock disapproval. “I got this, mom, or did you forget who you’re talking to?”

“Yes, yes, _ Avatar _. I just wanna make sure you’re ready to defend that title tomorrow night.”

“I thought that’s what we’ve been doing the past few months? Or do you just like getting your ass handed to you?”

“Who knows? Maybe I’m into that and that’s why I’m still hanging out with you.” that made Korra laugh. She wanted to scream. Mako laughed, too, he looked happy. What happened to all that happiness? Korra’s first opponent, her first real fight, her first friend, her first kiss. He placed a hand on her shoulder. “But seriously, everyone here got your back, you know that, right? And tomorrow? Front row, I’ll b-- we’ll be right there, cheering for you the whole way through.”

There was a pause in which neither of them knew the right words to say, and so neither of them did. _ Say something _ , Korra pleaded, _ make her stay. Don’t let her walk away. Please! _Their goodbyes are brief, the hug feels empty, the words inadequate. The rain had worsened, Korra pulled the hood of her jacket of her tousled hair and stepped into the night alone.

Korra never made it very far, a street or two, before she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She stopped, finding shelter from the rain in a nearby alleyway and swiping through her messages. She wondered sometimes what might’ve happened if she hadn’t stopped, if she simply went home and woke up the next day _ whole _.

Something reached for Korra in the darkness, and the next thing she knew was being pulled into the alley, away from the lights, from the people, from her future. She couldn’t see much, what little light reached her only allowing Korra glimpses at her surroundings. 

The first thing she noticed was the gun. The metal was smooth, reflecting the light and all but shining in the darkness. A stark contrast to the man holding it. But perhaps man was the wrong word, from what Korra remembered the had looked younger than her by a year or two. _ Seventeen, maybe eighteen? _ His clothes were ragged and drenched in the rain, flocked together and spotted with holes.

“Your bag. Give me your bag.” his voice was as shaky as his hands, he was shaking from the cold and something else entirely, barely able to keep the gun pointed at her without clutching it tightly with both hands.

Korra froze, then slowly lifted the bag from her shoulder and handed it over. She watched her belongings clutter to the concrete. Dirty clothes, gym shoes, her keys. “Where’s your wallet? Your money?!”

Korra tried to remember what she thought in that moment; the helplessness, the realization that she had forgotten her purse in her locker, the panic that settled into her bones and paralyzed her. “I don’t have it with me.” her voice felt small, drowned out by a city that had never felt so empty.

“Don’t play games with me, where’s the fucking money?” 

“I can get you your money, just please lower the gun.” Korra still didn’t know why exactly she did it, but she took a tentative step forward. That’s what they always did in the movies, wasn’t it? Try and talk?

“You think I’m stupid? I d- stop! Don’t come closer!”

“I just want to talk, please, just put the gun away,” Korra took another step forward. She wanted to look away again, get far away from this street, this city, this life. Life wasn’t a movie, and when the shot rang through the darkness and she hit the concrete there was nothing there but the darkness and the rain.

Korra woke drenched in sweat and gasping for air. Her hands shot to her legs, running her hands over the skin and relishing in the feeling, the realization that there was any feeling there at all. A dream, of course. Of course it was a dream. The light of the bedside lamp flooded the room in a soft glow, it only then occurred to her _ where _ she was. Korra doubted that anyone heard her cry out in her sleep, neither Kuvira nor Naga would rush into her room and tell her that everything was alright. Nothing was alright, everything was alright.

Korra was alright.

Climbing out of the bed and opening her suitcase Korra rummaged through the pile of clothes still inside until she found what she was after. Plugging the hard drive into her laptop she settled back into bed, scrolling through the files kept inside. She still had a few hours until anyone in the estate was up and about, and sleep was the last thing on her mind right now.

There was a reason she brought those movies with her; the good guys always won in her movies. Korra could use a win right about now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think the weather is slowly seeping into my writing, or maybe that's just the encroaching Monday talking, who knows?  
Anyway, anyone got any musical recs? I’ve recently discovered that there’s a Beetlejuice musical (why didn’t anyone tell me?) and I’m sorta bouncing between that one and a few others atm (mainly Hamilton, Six, Heathers, and Dear Evan Hansen)  
Also, Beetlejuice’s [Dead Mom](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEct4Nod2iU) fits Asami surprisingly well.  
Take care y'all - until next week!


	11. Spray Paint

Korra decided to extend her routine the following morning, leaving her room as soon as the first sunbeams colored the barren woods in a faint, golden glow. She relished in the cold, a much needed reminder that the dreams only ever reached so far, they couldn’t get to her here, not as long as she was moving, not as long as the ache in her muscles reminded her that she could still feel them, that there was something to feel at all.

Asami had been right, the days really were growing warmer - well, as warm as they could ever get all the way out here, anyway. It made Korra think of home, of a time before the big city drowned out everything that didn’t quite fit. There was no place for the girl from the small village in the south, the girl used to sub-zero temperatures and who’s knowledge of the outside world began and ended with the radio broadcasts that somehow managed to cut through the interference. Sometimes she wondered how much of that girl was left inside her, how much hadn’t been traded away for a future she no longer had any right to keep. Picking up the pace Korra ignored the burning in her legs and opted for another lap around the terrain.

By the time she returned to the estate grounds the sun stood high in the sky, the world having long turned from gold to white. The first thing Korra noticed was that the garage gate stood wide open. _ That’s new _ , Korra thought, _ I wonder what she’s up to today, it must be freezing in there. _ Slipping inside the garage she scanned the room, finding Asami huddled near a radiator and kneeling next to whatever she worked on, a cloud of red fumes erupting around her.

If Asami had heard her come in, she gave no indication that she did so. Moving closer, Korra watched the other woman work. Asami’s face was obscured by a mask, her eyes hidden beneath a thick pair of goggles and her hair pulled back in a ponytail. She traced the stencil with practiced precision, her brow furrowed in concentration. 

If Korra had paid attention where she was going, she could’ve avoided the pile of discarded scrap and cables scattered across the floor. But she didn’t, and the metallic bang that rang through the room made Asami jump. She didn’t turn around, instead easing her grip on the can of spray paint and pointing it towards a set of nearby tables. Korra raised an eyebrow, Asami may not have seen the gesture, but explained regardless. “Fumes. There should be another mask and some goggles on that counter over there.” her voice was dampened by the plastic. “Wouldn’t want you to end up with five different flavours of lung cancer - that’s just a lawsuit waiting to happen.” 

Korra searched through the tables filled with all sorts of equipment, some looking more alien than others. She still didn’t know where they stood after what happened the other day, but she didn’t exactly have anywhere else to be. A moment later she found what she was looking for. Pulling the mask over her face, the straps fighting with her hair for a moment before giving in, she grabbed a pair of goggles that didn’t quite fit, but at least appeared to have been cleaned recently and didn’t impact her vision too much.

If she were to hazard a guess, Korra would say that she looked a lot more like she was about to audition for a guest role in Breaking Bad than anything else.

Returning to Asami’s side, and keeping a safe distance to keep any paint from finding its way onto her clothes, Korra studied the chaotic layer of fresh, red paint, trying to figure out what the result may look like. “What’cha working on?” she asked eventually.

Asami didn’t answer immediately, she very rare did, even less often while she was working. She always seemed to take an extra moment to think about each word, to make sure she didn’t let anything slip she didn’t want to. “Just an old prototype I decided to dust off a little, something that I should’ve done a long time ago.” a moment later Asami put the can down and slowly pulled at the scentil taped to the snowmobile, revealing the word ‘Trinity’ shining back at them in glossy, red letters.

Korra chuckled to herself. “Trinity, huh?” she asked. “What’s the side car called? “The Left Hand of the Devil”?”

Asami, pulling the mask over her face and removed the goggles, looked at Korra with puzzlement written plainly across her face.

Korra blinked. “Don’t tell me you’ve never seen that movie.”

“What movie?” Asami asked, a hint of exasperation in her voice.

“”They call me Trinity”?” Korra tried, Asami shrugged. “From the 70s?” Nothing. “Seriously? With Bud Spencer?”

Asami shook her head. “Never heard of it.”

“Wow, and here I thought you were supposed to be the smart one with all those fancy PhDs and commendations. If only the world knew that Asami Sato was missing such a crucial part of her education.” Korra removed her own mask, the glasses beginning to dig into the sides of her head,

“Let me get this straight,” Asami began. “You came here thinking I was prissy, pampered little princess that got everything handed to her - and you were fine with that.” there was a laugh sneaking into her tone, but whether from amusement or something else entirely, Korra couldn’t tell. “And now I haven’t seen some movie - that’s in all likelihood older than my dad - and suddenly I’m what? Vaatu reincarnate?”

“It’s not just _ some movie _!” Korra insisted, catching herself grin regardless. “They’r-” she was interrupted by Takuya’s voice calling them into the kitchen for breakfast. Korra decided to drop it, at least for now. It was her turn now to shake her head as they made for the door. “And Asami?” she asked as they passed through one of the more spacious rooms. “I know we said no more apologies, but I really am sorry.”

“What for?”

“From what I can tell your childhood sounds like a dark place.”

Korra dodged the punch aimed at her shoulder but didn’t miss the smile on Asami’s lips. _T__he days really were getting warmer _ , she thought to herself as the delicious smell of wonderfully warm food met them half way to the kitchen, _ maybe she didn't need the cold to remind her just how far she had come._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I had an anecdote planned about how goddamn obscure Bud Spencer movies are outside Italy/Germany, but then I got to watch Klaus today and I really, really need talk about that one instead. Oh my God this movie was so incredibly wonderful and sad, I teared up a good few times and… wow, I have a lot of feelings about this - it's on Netflix, go watch it if you can. I’m usually not one for Christmas movies, but this one is something special.  
Take care y’all, and until next week!<3


	12. Minimalism

"Pliers." 

Asami stood leaning over the open hood of the _ Trinity _, holding a colorful cluster of cables in place with one hand while outstretching the other in the vague direction she suspected her tool box to be. She had finally managed to isolate the problem behind the seemingly random engine failures, and it had only taken her all morning and the better part of the previous night to do so. 

The familiar weight of the tool quickly pressed against her palm, Korra's hand briefly brushing against her own and radiating a warmth that Asami missed the second it was gone. She really should start wearing gloves in the garage, the cold practically seeped in through the walls down here. 

"Screwdriver." 

"Which one? There's like twenty of them in the box." 

"Hex socket, size #2." after a brief pause she added. "It's the blue one, fifth from the left."

"I knew that, I totally knew that."

"Sure, but we don't have all day and I'd like to finish this before nightfall." 

Again she extended her hand, and after a few moments in which nothing happened cocked her head to see what's wrong only find Korra watching her, letting the screwdriver hover _ just _ out of Asami's reach.

"You know, you really could stand to be a little nicer." There was a smile tucking at Korra's lips that made Asami wish she had both of her hands at her disposal, just so she could wrap them around the other woman's neck. 

“Korra.”

“I’m just saying, a little ‘please’ or ‘thank you’ goes a long way.”

Asami closed her eyes and sighed, "Screwdriver. Please?"

"See? That wasn't so hard now, was it?" Korra let the tool drop in her hand before studying the tool box again, tapping the carefully organized contents rhythmically with her fingers. 

Asami couldn't shake the feeling that this woman was somehow familiar, that she had seen her before, maybe even met her before. Perhaps father had hired her in the past for one of the many events organized every year by Future Industries back home – Raava only knew there were too many of those for anyone to keep track. Either way it was nice to have some help in the garage again, even if it came in the form of someone as stubborn as Korra.

Satisfied with her work, Asami stepped back from the snowmobile and looked around for something to wipe her grease-covered hands clean.

"Don't tell me you're done already, I was just starting to get the hang of all this mechanic-gibberish."

"All done, I'm afraid. Pretty confident this time, too, I'm like 99% sure that it won't blow up in our faces the next time someone turns the ignition."

"Crazy engineer lady says what now?" 

"Relax, those are some pretty good odds if you think about it."

"I'll keep that in mind, let's say… from over there?" Korra gestured towards the corner of the room, taking a slow, demonstrative step backwards. 

"Does that mean you're not coming with for the test drive?" Asami hadn't meant to sound disappointed, maybe she really was growing accustomed to the company. 

"That depends." 

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"Whether or not you can get that 1% ironed out. Of all the ways to die 'getting blown to bits in the middle of nowhere' didn't quite make it on the list for me."

"Really? I'd say it makes for a much more interesting story than withering away of old age in some nursing home." 

"You have a very screwed up idea of interesting, Ms. Sato, has anyone ever told you that?"

“Occasionally. Now come on, let's get this thing loaded up. If you didn't like the tundra during the day you definitely don't want to be out there after nightfall."

-

Despite its harshness and the cold, Asami loved the tundra. She loved the way the sun reflected itself on the snow, the distant mountains breaking the monotony of white, the wind howling like wolves during the night. This was nature's idea of minimalism, and Asami couldn't have asked for a better place to catch a break from the city and the company. 

Most importantly, however, it allowed her a break from being Asami Sato. It had been exciting at the beginning, the cameras, the interviews, seeing herself in the paper. But now, after all these years? She'd give a lot to go back to the way things were, before every misstep was a headline, every slip-up a photo uploaded to the internet. 

But that wasn't how things worked, privacy wasn't something given to the _ Future of Future Industries – _Asami swore the headlines in the tabloids got lazier by the day – and she just had to deal with that, like she did until now, like she will once she's back where she belonged. 

The _ Trinity _, for its part, was holding up admirably. Where previously there had been issues with both the engine and fuel usage, both of these problems had now finally been adjusted and corrected – something thought thoroughly impossible when the project lost funding and was canceled some four years ago.

Behind her on the snowmobile Korra had her hands snaked around Asami's stomach. She felt that same warmth again, it's definitely the cold. They've been driving for just short of an hour when it had begun to snow. Slow, gentle snowflakes that made the world around them look like it was alive and moving about. Like the whole tundra was dancing in the wind. But then the wind picked up, and with it the snow. There was nothing magical about snowstorms, something Asami had learned very quickly a long time ago, but by the time they turned around it was already too late. 

Like a wall of fog the snow made seeing anything much further away than her own hands practically impossible, not to mention trying to navigate in this chaos. Asami had to rely on her instincts to guide her through the chaos, they told her they were still on course. As long as the weather didn’t get any worse they’d be fine, as long as they held their course they’d be fine, as long as- something _ cracked _ beneath them, Asami’s blood froze solid in her veins. She tried to pull the snowmobile around, get off the fractured ice and back on solid ground, but it was too late. Below them the surface collapsed, the ice splintering and giving in from under them. Asami clutched the controls desperately, fighting a hopeless battle against gravity.

The last thing Asami remembered before the world faded to black was falling. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I’ma just gush about animation for a bit if that’s fine with you.  
Between [Hazbin Hotel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeOWxqYp80A), [Klaus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taE3PwurhYM), [Season 3 of The Dragon Prince](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8FPzAW7HZ4), and [Season 4 of She-Ra](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juIipTTY1Vo) November has been an incredible month for animation and has done wonders to rekindle my love for the art. With so much focus being put on live-action adaptations at the moment it’s nice to know that there are still people pushing for animated movies & shows. Also, [Helluva Boss](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rzBpIU-L78) coming out tomorrow and I am so here for it.  
Alright, I’m done. Take care peeps, until next week - you know the drill. If y’all would excuse me I'll be rewatching Hazbin for the twentieth time in a row.


	13. Not All Bad

When Asami opened her eyes, she noticed two things: First, she wasn’t dead – that was good. And second, she couldn’t feel her right leg – that was bad.

Thinking about it, Asami couldn’t feel much of anything save the cold that seemed to have wrapped itself around her like a blanket. Next, she tried moving her arms, which, after making it very clear that they hadn’t much appreciated the fall, at least obeyed her commands.  _ The fall _ . The memories came rushing back, the ice that hadn’t been strong enough to support their weight, the sound of something shattering, and then… and then the fall into darkness.

Looking upwards, and fighting the stinging pain in her neck, Asami found the source of daylight that flooded their cave; a Trinity-shaped hole in the frozen ceiling. Above them the snowstorm appeared to have only gotten worse, but the sun hadn’t set yet, that meant she couldn’t have been out for too long.

She heard something move. “Korra?” The word sounded small and frail, Asami hated how she sounded almost as much as how she felt.

“You know,” said another small voice, and after Korra let out a series of coughs she continued. “At some point I’m going to have to charge you hazard pay.” Asami couldn’t see her, turning around being difficult with her leg stuck under a mountain of ice and snow and all that, but it sounded like Korra lay somewhere nearby.

“I assure you, if I wasn’t about to freeze to death I would’ve found that remark hysterical.” Asami placed both hands on her leg, trying to to pull it free. It was hopeless, she wasn’t going anywhere. “Are you all right?”

“Peachy.” coughed Korra. “Cold, wet, and miserable, but other than that I’m fine.” she got to her feet, Asami could see that much from the corner of her eye. She tried to push the snow off her clothes, something that didn’t do nearly enough considering Korra was practically covered in the stuff.

“There should be a tracker in the back, somewhere inside that big blue box?”  _ If it survived the fall, anyway _ . With every word Asami felt the cold sink deeper into her skin, she shivered against her clothes wet from the snow. “I’m not sure if the signal will be strong enough to cut through the storm all the way out here, but if-” it was Asami’s turn to break into a fit of coughs now.

“-if the storm hasn’t yet turned us into popsicles by the time help arrives, we’ll be fine?” Korra asked, beginning to rummage through the ever-so-tidily arranged bags and boxes stacked on the snowmobile. It felt like hours until she finally produced a small, gray box and showed it to Asami. “This it?”

“Yeah, give it here.” Asami almost dropped the device the moment Korra placed it in her positively-frozen hands, she hadn’t realized until now that she was shaking. While the tracker locked pretty much unaffected by the fall from the outside, no matter how many times she tried to active the damned thing the light wouldn’t start to light up the way it was supposed to. “It’s busted. Probably a cable that got loose during the fall or some other minor thing. There’s a small toolbox I packed, I just need the- what are you doing?”

Korra, who had abandoned her post at the  _ Trinity _ , was now hovering around Asami and studied the point where the ice had begun to bury her. “Doesn’t matter much if help arrives and you’re not here to see it, does it now?”

Asami opened her mouth to protest but closed it again not a second later.

“That’s what I thought, you can barely keep your hands steady, how do you plan on working with your tools?” Korra squatted down next to her, placing both hands under the ice and searching for some sort of purchase before looking back at Asami. “I’m gonna lift this up, I need you to try and pull your leg out when I do, okay?”

Asami nodded.

“Good, I’m going to count to three.” Again Asami put her hands on her trapped leg. “One, two,” she felt the ice move, like a shudder trembling through its entire being. “Three.” Asami saw rather than felt the removal of pressure on her leg. She tried to pull at it, but there wasn’t enough space for her to free herself entirely. A heartbeat later Korra slowly lowered the pile back down.

“Korra, it’s too heavy, it’s not gonna w-”

“Remember why I’m here? To make sure you’re okay.” once again Korra knelt down to grip the ice. “I have no intention of being the one to tell your people that I let Asami Sato lose a leg because of some bad luck and worse weather.”

This time Asami would’ve laughed, too, but all that came out of her mouth was a weak exhale of breath that hung in the air like fog. Once again Korra counted to three, and once again Asami couldn’t quite free herself from her prison.

“I can guide you through it.” Asami said finally, her voice barely above a whisper.

“What?”

“Repairing the tracker I mean, I can tell you what to look for, how to fix it. That way at least you could-”

“Shut up.” Korra hissed, if Asami had either the energy or ability to flinch back, she would’ve. “We’re getting out of here, together, in one piece. You hear me?”

Asami nodded again, unsure what else she could do.

Korra pulled off her gloves, discarding them somewhere blindly in the snow and rubbed her hands together in a desperate attempt to get some warmth back into her body. “We’re getting out of here, I’m gonna see Naga again, and I’m going to take a bath so hot it hurts.” Asami wasn’t sure if Korra was even addressing her anymore or simply talking to herself. She decided it didn’t matter either way.

“We can do this.” said Korra, and when her eyes found Asami’s she really believed her. “One,” Asami’s fingers hurt, her arms hurt, what little she could feel of her legs hurt. It didn’t matter, she held onto her leg tight and prepared herself. “Two,” the ice began to shift. “Three!” Asami pulled with all her strength, she pulled and pulled and then… she felt something move. She slid back in the snow, giving herself space to fully free herself. They did it, they really did it. Asami toppled backwards without the ice there to support her weight, falling backwards into the snow. By the time she managed to settle herself against the nearest wall and sit upright, Korra already busied herself by digging through the rest of their equipment, fishing a large blanket out of one of the bags and holding it triumphantly into the air.

Asami felt the fabric being wrapped around herself, leaning forward so Korra could drape it over her back, and closed her eyes. While it wasn’t exactly  _ warm _ , it did serve as a barrier against the cold and had an immediate effect. She felt Korra’s shoulder brush against her side as she slipped under the blanket a moment later.

“The clothes.” Asami realized. She was too cold and too tired to worry about modesty. The snow had long soaked through her jacket and pants, and she didn’t need to ask to know that the same must’ve been true for Korra. Asami tried to unbutton her jacket, but found that her fingers had only grown more rigid and unresponsive since trying to hold onto the tracker. She gave up after the fifth failed attempt at trying to wrangle the top-most button into obedience. 

Next to her, Korra was in the process of abandoning her jacket and removing her shirt, and stopped what she was doing once she noticed Asami watching her. “I… I could use some help... with the buttons.” she felt pathetic asking for help with something so mundane, small and pathetic – but what other choice did she have? She wasn’t about to freeze to death to save what little dignity she had left.

Korra didn’t say anything as she started to unbutton Asami’s jacket, starting at the top and working her way down, once she got to the last button she looked back up at Asami, as if asking permission. Asami nodded. With Korra’s help she wiggled out of her boots and pants, leaving her clutching onto the thick blanket and trying to absorb all the warmth she could.

Korra waited until she, too, stripped out of most of her clothes before speaking again. “We should probably, uh, you know… for warmth and-”

“Korra.” Asami said, Korra looked at her startled, like she was just woken up from a dream. “Shut up.” huddling closer Asami draped one arm around the other woman, settling into a more-or-less comfortable position while staying as close as she could. The heat that radiated out between them quickly drowned out most of the chill that had stubbornly refused to let go of her until now. She was still shivering in Korra’s embrace, but at least she wasn’t in any immediate danger of freezing to death anymore.

Korra began to move, and Asami was about to protest, when she saw her pick up the broken tracker Asami had carefully placed on the floor next to them, as well as the tool box Korra must’ve taken with her earlier. “That offer of helping me fix this thing still open?” 

“Only if you come back here.” Asami said before her mind caught up with the words, she felt the heat rise on her face and was thankful Korra didn’t comment on it. They settled back into position, Korra balancing the tracker in her lap and searching the toolbox for the fitting screwdriver to open the casing with. With remarkably steady hands she worked on removing the four screws holding the rear panel of the device in place.

“First thing you want to check are the green and yellow wires, if we’re lucky they’ve simply come loose and you can pluck them back in.” Asami instructed, watching Korra delicately inspect each wire and checking double whether or not anything had come loose. When it became evident that they hadn’t been the cause of the problem Asami continued. “You see that gray-ish plate with the two slotted screws?” Korra nodded. “You’ll need to lift that up, there should be a battery pack inside that you shouldn’t be able to move around.” 

Korra held the device close to her face, probably wishing for a flashlight right about now, and carefully pushed one finger inside.

“Yep, there’s definitely something wrong, it’s not attached to anything.”

“That’s good.” Asami said and Korra shot her a skeptical look. “I mean, not  _ good _ good, obviously, otherwise we wouldn’t have this conversation, but good as in ‘I know how to fix it’. Try to push it all the way to the back end.”

Korra complied, and soon enough Asami heard a ‘click’ before a tiny, green lamp on the device flickered to life.

“A loose battery, what else would it be.” Korra shook her head, smiling. Taking the device out of Korra’s hands Asami inspected it for a moment before pressing the one button she hoped never to need. It send out an SOS, or in other words the help-I-fucked-up signal, that would reach the estate once the storm above eased its stranglehold over the tundra.

“You know,” said Korra after a long pause in which neither of them said anything. “It’s not all bad.”

“How so?”

“At least the  _ Trinity _ didn’t explode, I’d call that a success.” Korra grinned, it was a sight that Asami could get used to.

“I hate you, so much.” Asami said, but there was a laugh bubbling up in her throat. “You know, I think I’m going to steal your idea, the whole ‘bath hot enough that it hurts’ thing you were talking about.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. And afterwards we’re going to watch that stupid movie you like so much.”

“I’d like that.”

“Good.”

“Good.”

Asami didn’t remember falling asleep in Korra’s arms, but she did remember dreaming about warm beds and steaming cups of hot tea in a world far away from snow and ice and the bitter cold. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you were wondering, here’s some exclusive, behind the scenes footage of my last two remaining brain cells [#42](https://www.vrddit.com/?v=r/ContagiousLaughter/comments/9ojjgs) and [#292](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J4Q8OXrkNf4/WV92JkvEUfI/AAAAAAAAAZc/v0JEFXDh3k0cxIbNsVouG7oYzcixStAXgCHMYCw/s0/RCO092.jpg) hard at work writing this fic.  
Anyway, here's a bit of a longer chapter since last week's upload d̶o̶e̶s̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶e̶x̶i̶s̶t̶ was lost in the void.  
See y'all (hopefully) next week, take care!


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